Wood stove doesn't work like it used to: Replaced clay flue tile with stainless 6" steel liner

[roscoe1958]

I have a Haugh S128 (Century) woodstove that I have used for 30 years. Decided to have a stainless steel liner installed. The installer knocked out the clay flue tile and installed a single wall stainless steel liner in sections. We did find that there was a jog in the chimney.

This is my second winter of use and I have a few questions / doubts. I can't get a complete burn and have a lot of coals left, as if I shut down the damper too much.
I replaced the stove door and window gasket, the wood I burn is under 20% usually around 10% because I can stack around 2 face cords next to the stove when it is brought in from the garage.

The woodstove is in the basement. The chimney rises up through the center of the house. The chimney pipe is approximately 17 feet (3 feet in basement, 8 feet through the main floor, 3 feet through the attic, 3 feet above the roof).
I live in a rural area there are no obstructions around.

Today I put a full load in around 10 am, loaded north south, stove pipe temperature for burn was 450 degrees F, it is now 4:30pm and the stove pipe temperature is 250 degrees F, entering the creosote zone. The temperature outside is 21 degrees F, feels like 7 degrees F, wind is 18 miles per hour from the west and wind gusts are 35 miles per hour. I can barely reach 70 degrees F in the house.

I used to be able to hit 74 - 75 degrees no problem.
With today's wind speed I used to have to shut the stove completely down and it would crank out the heat.

Does anyone see a problem with my setup?

 

[bholler]

I have a Haugh S128 (Century) woodstove that I have used for 30 years. Decided to have a stainless steel liner installed. The installer knocked out the clay flue tile and installed a single wall stainless steel liner in sections. We did find that there was a jog in the chimney.

This is my second winter of use and I have a few questions / doubts. I can't get a complete burn and have a lot of coals left, as if I shut down the damper too much.
I replaced the stove door and window gasket, the wood I burn is under 20% usually around 10% because I can stack around 2 face cords next to the stove when it is brought in from the garage.

The woodstove is in the basement. The chimney rises up through the center of the house. The chimney pipe is approximately 17 feet (3 feet in basement, 8 feet through the main floor, 3 feet through the attic, 3 feet above the roof).
I live in a rural area there are no obstructions around.

Today I put a full load in around 10 am, loaded north south, stove pipe temperature for burn was 450 degrees F, it is now 4:30pm and the stove pipe temperature is 250 degrees F, entering the creosote zone. The temperature outside is 21 degrees F, feels like 7 degrees F, wind is 18 miles per hour from the west and wind gusts are 35 miles per hour. I can barely reach 70 degrees F in the house.

I used to be able to hit 74 - 75 degrees no problem.
With today's wind speed I used to have to shut the stove completely down and it would crank out the heat.

Does anyone see a problem with my setup?

What size outlet is on the stove?

 

[moresnow]

What is your routine for checking moisture content?

 

[Das Jugghead]

I have a Haugh S128 (Century) woodstove that I have used for 30 years. Decided to have a stainless steel liner installed. The installer knocked out the clay flue tile and installed a single wall stainless steel liner in sections. We did find that there was a jog in the chimney.

This is my second winter of use and I have a few questions / doubts. I can't get a complete burn and have a lot of coals left, as if I shut down the damper too much.
I replaced the stove door and window gasket, the wood I burn is under 20% usually around 10% because I can stack around 2 face cords next to the stove when it is brought in from the garage.

The woodstove is in the basement. The chimney rises up through the center of the house. The chimney pipe is approximately 17 feet (3 feet in basement, 8 feet through the main floor, 3 feet through the attic, 3 feet above the roof).
I live in a rural area there are no obstructions around.

Today I put a full load in around 10 am, loaded north south, stove pipe temperature for burn was 450 degrees F, it is now 4:30pm and the stove pipe temperature is 250 degrees F, entering the creosote zone. The temperature outside is 21 degrees F, feels like 7 degrees F, wind is 18 miles per hour from the west and wind gusts are 35 miles per hour. I can barely reach 70 degrees F in the house.

I used to be able to hit 74 - 75 degrees no problem.
With today's wind speed I used to have to shut the stove completely down and it would crank out the heat.

Does anyone see a problem with my setup?

I cannot help but wonder why you didn't have a flexible stainless line installed? I am curious if the current single wall liner installed in sections isn't properly sealed at each joint. Excessive coaling is indicative of wet wood as is the inability to achieve a hot and long burn.

What is your routine for checking moisture content?

I am interested in the MC of the wood and the protocol for measuring the MC as well.

 

[roscoe1958]

What size outlet is on the stove?

outlet is 6"

 

[roscoe1958]

What is your routine for checking moisture content?

I have a 2 prong moisture meter. the wood is stacked next to the stove and is under 5% moisture. Insert prongs in the end of the wood.
I also checked it against the wood in the garage and it is up to 15%.

 

[roscoe1958]

If this helps it is was installed in sections because that is what the installer brought and yes I now question if that was correct . It is put together like stovepipe and then was screwed together.

My old setup had a chimney cap that had a solid roof with wire mesh sides (spark arrestor).

The new setup has a box cover type lid with the chimney cap screwed on with 3 screws and a clamp that can be tightened. It has a solid metal band around the middle and I wonder if this is restricting the draft?

 

[Das Jugghead]

I have a 2 prong moisture meter. the wood is stacked next to the stove and is under 5% moisture. Insert prongs in the end of the wood.
I also checked it against the wood in the garage and it is up to 15%.

My understanding is that the correct method of measuring MC is to take a piece of wood that has been at room temperature for 24 hours, split it, and insert prongs of moisture meter deep into the fresh face of the split. Measuring MC at the end of a split will give a very inaccurate reading.

Here are two pieces of wood I took out to the garage to split after they had been in the wood box by the stove for at least 24 hours - probably closer to 36.

 

[moresnow]

I have a 2 prong moisture meter. the wood is stacked next to the stove and is under 5% moisture. Insert prongs in the end of the wood.
I also checked it against the wood in the garage and it is up to 15%.

Test it as described above in post #8 and let us know what the actual M/C is. There can be a really significant difference compared to measuring the dry exterior.

 

[roscoe1958]

Test it as described above in post #8 and let us know what the actual M/C is. There can be a really significant difference compared to measuring the dry exterior.

This is what my wood looks like. it is 5% or less.

 

[bholler]

This is what my wood looks like. it is 5% or less.

View attachment 289478 View attachment 289479

That certainly looks plenty dry. But 5% simply isn't possible without a kiln.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

That certainly looks plenty dry. But 5% simply isn't possible without a kiln.

Yep, I agree.
If he knows someone else with a moisture meter well worth retesting and comparing, however I would doubt that wood is above 15%.

 

[roscoe1958]

That certainly looks plenty dry. But 5% simply isn't possible without a kiln.

The wood in the pictures are stacked 30" from the wood stove. The firewood I burn is 12" so the previous row I was burning was even closer.
I will split a piece when I get home and test the inside as suggested.

As I have stated previously I have been burning wood for 30 years and have not had a problem until the stainless steel liner was installed with a different chimney cap than I had previously.

 

[roscoe1958]

I have attached a picture to show where my wood is stacked in relation to the stove.
No I do not have a kiln but I believe my wood dry's as close to kiln dried as you can get in this case.

In any case it is definitely below 20% and I don't believe it is the root cause of my problem.

 

[MAD MARK]

Have you visually checked the baffle to make sure the chimney installer didn't knock it off track if possible?

 

[MAD MARK]

Maybe the possibility that you're burning mostly cherry now, instead of oak/maple as in the past?

 

[MR. GLO]

I get coaling and my wood is seasoned. I run the stove mid way and open her up for 20 minutes before I reload...overnight burn usually kills the coals. I had coaling on 30 year old stove too and a new stove....the new stove does a better job at killing the coals to ash dust...if i want to make coals in the new stove....I'll just load it up and turn it all the way down for several loads. ...so to slow the coaling I just run it under mid way during the day....and turn it all the way down on my last reload around 1130 12 am.

As for heat output with new liner I'm guessing draft has changed....do you see an increase or decrease in how long stove pipe temp takes to max out.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

Easy enough to check the flue, locate a sweep or tech equipped with a camera he can send down the chimney, if anything is abnormal there he will quickly come upon it as well as give you a report on its current condition. If you have gone from a larger tile liner to a smaller 6 inch liner obviously the draft has changed and is not reacting as before.

 

[roscoe1958]

Have you visually checked the baffle to make sure the chimney installer didn't knock it off track if possible?

What baffle? This is not a cat stove. Am I missing something?
The chimney is in the middle of the basement and runs up through the main floor through the attic to the outside. Far side of the long side of a hip roof.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

There is a baffle in your stove even if non cat, it could be steel, C-Cast, vermiculite or even firebrick.

 

[roscoe1958]

There is a baffle in your stove even if non cat, it could be steel, C-Cast, vermiculite or even firebrick.

I think I understand what you are describing.
When I take out the 6" stove pipe from the stove you can see a steel plate.
I have had it out to check it and it is approximately 1/4" thick x 24" x 14".
I just doublechecked on an old Stove diagram and we are talking about the same thing.
There is nothing wrong with it.
I appreciate your comments and thought we had something there for a few minutes.
So I thank you.

It is easy for some to blame my wood and not believe my mc. I can live with that.
However I repeat that the only thing that has changed is the new steel liner and chimney cap.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

However I repeat that the only thing that has changed is the new steel liner and chimney cap.

You therefore have a draft change, but may also have something wrong with the flue itself or it's installation, which is why a camera sent down the chimney would be extremely useful in resolving the issue. Additionally has a draft measurement been performed if not this should be done.

 

[mellow]

I question which liner was installed, did you get a detailed invoice showing what liner was used? For all we know it could be singlewall black pipe that was screwed together.

 

[stoveliker]

But black pipe vs single wall liner would not change much in draft because the cool down (in a masonry chimney) would be about the same.

OP, you are sure there is no debris blocking the flow on top of your baffle?

I second the notion that draft has changed because of the chimney work. If you have a sooteater, I'd run that up as it'll tell you if there is a blockage in the pipe (without a camera).
Either that or debris on the baffle plate. Or the cap is not good for your situation.

I would not be very concerned about flue temps at the end of a burn cycle (during coaling). Not much creosote produced then.

 

[thewoodlands]

But black pipe vs single wall liner would not change much in draft because the cool down (in a masonry chimney) would be about the same.

OP, you are sure there is no debris blocking the flow on top of your baffle?

I second the notion that draft has changed because of the chimney work. If you have a sooteater, I'd run that up as it'll tell you if there is a blockage in the pipe (without a camera).
Either that or debris on the baffle plate. Or the cap is not good for your situation.

I would not be very concerned about flue temps at the end of a burn cycle (during coaling). Not much creosote produced then.

I could be wrong about this but didn't I read on this site that you can damage certain liners with a sooteater.

I think it came from a member who cleans chimneys.